(affectionately known as ‘Philly,’) introduced the “Make Your Own Sundae” concept, a trademark for Stewart’s. Partnering with local television stations to sponsor shows like “Hopalong Cassidy” and “Whirlybird,” Stewart’s could advertise their ice cream, resulting in throngs of shop visitors clamoring to make their own sundaes after watching it on TV. “We were unique because we scooped ice cream and sold the packaged product to enjoy at home,” explains Bill Dake. Two years later, Charles, Percy and Charlie moved all operations to the cow barn, where they remain today. Paul ‘Perky’ Robinson was put in charge of the plant itself, allowing Charlie to focus on sales and shop openings. In 1953, he and Philly purchased the Mansion on the Hill from his parents, who then retired to the family homestead on Daketown Road. There, Charles raised prize-winning Southdown sheep, and the animals became a traveling petting zoo of sorts, visiting Stewart’s shops to entertain children as they enjoyed their ice cream treats. The sheep also sparked an incredibly successful advertising campaign for Stewart’s. First, it was a naming contest for two new lambs, ‘Perky’ and ‘Patches,’ that became the company mascots. Then an incentive program was introduced, encouraging customers to collect Perky Points redeemable for discounts and prizes, including a helicopter ride for those who collected and saved 500 points. “Yes, we actually owned a helicopter,” recalls Bill Dake with a smile. “Another of the family ventures was Adirondack Helicopters. We would deliver Santa Clause, reward loyal customers and even sell rides for special occasions. The helicopter rides and Perky made for
popular marketing campaigns in the ‘50s.” By 1955, Stewarts’s had more than 40 shops open, but due to state law and licensing regulations, the company could not sell milk at all of them. In 1957, the company took on the New York State Department of Agriculture for permission to sell milk from their own Saratoga Dairy plant to their own Stewart’s shops. After a highly publicized battle in court and in the press, Stewart’s was granted legal rights to sell its own milk, destroying the monopoly of the larger companies serving area supermarkets and resulting in Capital Region milk prices dropping 25 percent per gallon. Stewart’s sales skyrocketed. Charlie took over Saratoga Dairy from his uncle, Percy, and needing technical savvy to meet the demand, convinced his younger brother, Bill, to return home. Fresh from a two-year term with the US Navy, Bill Dake had not intended to come back to Saratoga. “I graduated from Cornell after a five-year Mechanical Engineering program with internships,” states Bill. “When I finished my ROTC service with the Navy, I planned to work for Boeing or Proctor & Gamble. I never thought about coming back to the family business.” He agreed to help his big brother though, and within a year of returning in 1960, Bill’s engineering acumen had significantly increased the dairy’s profitability. Stewart’s was now being run by another generation of brothers.
A second generation of brothers take the helm (Charlie and Bill Dake)
Bill Dake refers to the company’s history by product. “The ‘50s were about ice cream, the ‘60s about milk and the ‘70s brought gasoline.” In 1972, Stewart’s sought to purchase a Mobil shop in Hudson that offered self-service gas. Ironically, Mobil wouldn’t let Stewart’s buy the property unless they committed to sell gasoline too. Stewart’s agreed and completed the sale, thus becoming Mobil’s biggest competitor. Today, 270 of the 329 Stewart’s Shops sell gas.“They created their own competition,” Bill remarks with a grin. In the mid-seventies, as the company grew to include 65
Adirondack Helicopters
10 | Simply Saratoga | Home & Garden Edition 2013 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com